THIS CHAPTER describes
President Kennedy's trip to Dallas, from its
origin through its tragic conclusion. The narrative of these events
is based largely on the recollections of the participants, although in
many instances documentary or other evidence has also been used by the
Commission. Beginning with the advance plans and Secret Service
preparations for the trip, this chapter reviews the motorcade through
Dallas, the fleeting moments of the assassination, the activities at
Parkland Memorial Hospital, and the return of the Presidential party
to Washington. An evaluation of the procedures employed to safeguard
the President, with recommendations for improving these procedures,
appears in Chapter VIII of the report.

President Kennedy's visit to Texas in November 1963 had been under
consideration for almost a year before it occurred. He had made only
a few brief visits to the State since the 1960 Presidential campaign
and in 1962 he began to consider a formal visit.1 During 1963, the
reasons for making the trip became more persuasive. As a political
leader, the President wished to resolve the factional controversy
within the Democratic Party in Texas before the election of 1964. 2
The party itself saw an opportunity to raise funds by having the
President speak at a political dinner eventually planned for Austin. 3
As Chief of State, the President always welcomed the opportunity to
learn, firsthand, about the problems which concerned the American
people.4 Moreover, he looked forward to the public appearances which
he personally enjoyed.

The basic decision on the November trip to Texas was made at a
meeting of President Kennedy, Vice President Johnson, and Governor
Connally on June 5, 1963, at the Cortez Hotel in El Paso, Tex.6 The
President had spoken earlier that day at the Air Force Academy in
Colorado Springs, Colo., and had stopped in El Paso to discuss the
proposed visit and other matters with the Vice President and the
Governor.7 The three agreed that the President would come to Texas

Page 29

in late November 1963.8 The original plan called for the President to
spend only 1 day in the State, making whirlwind visits to Dallas, Fort
Worth, San Antonio, and Houston.9 In September, the White House
decided to permit further visits by the President and extended the
trip to run from the afternoon of November 21 through the evening of
Friday, November 22. When Governor Connally called at the White
House on October 4 to discuss the details of the visit, it was agreed
that the planning of events in Texas would be left largely to the
Governor. At the White House, Kenneth O'Donnell, special assistant to
the President, acted as coordinator for the trip.12

Everyone agreed that, if there was sufficient time, a motorcade
through downtown Dallas would be the best way for the people to see
their President. When the trip was planned for only 1 day, Governor
Connally had opposed the motorcade because there was not enough time.13
The Governor stated, however, that "once we got San Antonio moved from
Friday to Thursday afternoon, where that was his initial stop in
Texas, then we had the time, and I withdrew my objections to a
motorcade."14 According to O'Donnell, "we had a motorcade wherever we
went," particularly in large cities where the purpose was to let the
President be seen by as many people as possible.15 In his experience,
"it would be automatic" for the Secret Service to arrange a route
which would, within the time allotted, bring the President "through an
area which exposes him to the greatest number of people."16

Advance preparations for President Kennedy's visit to Dallas were
primarily the responsibility of two Secret Service agents: Special
Agent Winston G. Lawson, a member of the White House detail who acted
as the advance agent, and Forrest V. Sorrels, special agent in charge
of the Dallas office. Both agents were advised of the trip on
November 4.18 Lawson received a tentative schedule of the Texas trip
on November 8 from Roy H. Kellerman, assistant special agent in charge
of the White House detail, who was the Secret. Service official
responsible for the entire Texas journey.19 As advance agent working
closely with Sorrels, Lawson had responsibility for arranging the
timetable for the President's visit to Dallas and coordinating local
activities with the White House staff, the organizations directly
concerned with the visit, and local law enforcement officials.20
Lawson's most important responsibilities were to take preventive
action against anyone in Dallas considered a threat to the President,
to select the luncheon site and motorcade route, and to plan security
measures for the luncheon and the motorcade.

The Protective Research Section (PRS) of the Secret Service maintains
records of people who have threatened the President or so conducted

Page 30

themselves as to be deemed a potential danger to him. On November 8,
1963, after undertaking the responsibility for advance preparations
for the visit to Dallas, Agent Lawson went to the PRS offices in
Washington. A check of the geographic indexes there revealed no
listing for any individual deemed to be a potential danger to the
President in the territory of the Secret Service regional office which
includes Dallas and Fort Worth.21

To supplement the PRS files, the Secret Service depends largely on
local police departments and local offices of other Federal agencies
which advise it of potential threats immediately before the visit of
the President to their community. Upon his arrival in Dallas on
November 12 Lawson conferred with the local police and the local
office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation about potential dangers
to the President. Although there was no mention in PRS files of the
demonstration in Dallas against Ambassador Adlai Stevenson on October
24, 1963, Lawson inquired about the incident and obtained through the
local police photographs of some of the persons involved.22 On
November 22 a Secret Service agent stood at the entrance to the Trade
Mart, where the President was scheduled to speak, with copies of these
photographs. Dallas detectives in the lobby of the Trade Mart and in
the luncheon area also had copies of these photographs. A number of
people who resembled some of those in the photographs were placed
under surveillance at the Trade Mart.25

The FBI office in Dallas gave the local Secret Service
representatives the name of a possibly dangerous individual in the
Dallas area who was investigated. It also advised the Secret Service
of the circulation on November 21 of a handbill sharply critical of
President Kennedy,24 discussed in chapter VI of this report. Shortly
before, the Dallas police had reported to the Secret Service that the
handbill had appeared on the streets of Dallas. Neither the Dallas
police nor the FBI had yet learned the source of the handbill.25 No
one else was identified to the Secret Service through local inquiry as
potentially dangerous, nor did PRS develop any additional information
between November 12, when Lawson left Washington, and November 22.
The adequacy of the intelligence system maintained by the Secret
Service at the time of the assassination, including a detailed
description of the available data on Lee Harvey Oswald and the reasons
why his name had not been furnished to the Secret Service, is
discussed in chapter VIII.

An important purpose of the President's visit to Dallas was to
speak at a luncheon given by business and civic leaders. The White
House staff informed the Secret Service that the President would
arrive and depart from Dallas' Love Field; that a motorcade through
the downtown area of Dallas to the luncheon site should be arranged;
and that following the luncheon the President would return to the
airport by the most direct route. Accordingly, it was important to

Page 31

determine the luncheon site as quickly as possible, so that security
could be established at the site and the motorcade route selected.

On November 4, Gerald A. Behn, agent in charge of the White
House detail, asked Sorrels to examine three potential sites for the
luncheon. One building, Market Hall, was unavailable for November 22.
The second, the Women's Building at the State Fair Grounds, was a
one-story building with few entrances and easy to make secure, but it
lacked necessary food-handling facilities and had certain unattractive
features, including a low ceiling with exposed conduits and beams. The
third possibility, the Trade Mart, a handsome new building with all
the necessary facilities, presented security problems. It had numerous
entrances, several tiers of balconies surrounding the central court
where the luncheon would be held, and several catwalks crossing the
court at each level. On November 4, Sorrels told Behn he believed
security difficulties at the Trade Mart could be overcome by special
precautions. Lawson also evaluated the security hazards at the Trade
Mart on November 13.28 Kenneth O'Donnell made the final decision to
hold the luncheon at the Trade Mart; Behn so notified Lawson on
November 14.

Once the Trade Mart had been selected, Sorrels and Lawson worked out
detailed arrangements for security at the building. In addition to the
preventive measures already mentioned, they provided for controlling
access to the building, closing off and policing areas around it,
securing the roof and insuring the presence of numerous police
officers inside and around the building. Ultimately more than 200 law
enforcement officers, mainly Dallas police but including 8 Secret
Service agents, were deployed in and around the Trade Mart.30

On November 8, when Lawson was briefed on the itinerary for the
trip to Dallas, he was told that 45 minutes had been allotted for a
motorcade procession from Love Field to the luncheon site.31 Lawson
was not specifically instructed to select the parade route, but he
understood that this was one of his functions.32 Even before the
Trade Mart had been definitely selected, Lawson and Sorrels began to
consider the best motorcade route from Love Field to the Trade Mart.
On November 14, Lawson and Sorrels attended a meeting at Love Field
and on their return to Dallas drove over the route which Sorrels
believed best suited for the proposed motorcade.33 This route,
eventually selected for the motorcade from the airport to the Trade
Mart, measured 10 miles and could be driven easily within the allotted
45 minutes.34 From Love Field the route passed through a portion of
suburban Dallas, through the downtown area along Main Street and then
to the Trade Mart via Stemmons Freeway. For the President's return to
Love Field following the luncheon, the agents selected the most direct
route, which was approximately 4 miles.

After the selection of the Trade Mart as the luncheon site, Lawson
and Sorrels met with Dallas Chief of Police Jesse E. Curry, Assistant

Page 32

Chief Charles Batchelor, Deputy Chief N. T. Fisher, and several other
command officers to discuss details of the motorcade and possible
routes. The route was further reviewed by Lawson and Sorrels with
Assistant Chief Batchelor and members of the local host committee on
November 15. The police officials agreed that the route recommended
by Sorrels was the proper one and did not express a belief that any
other route might be better.37 On November 18, Sorrels and Lawson
drove over the selected route with Batchelor and other police
officers, verifying that it could be traversed within 45 minutes.
Representatives of the local host committee and the White House staff
were advised by the Secret Service of the actual route on the
afternoon of November 18.38

The route impressed the agents as a natural and desirable one.
Sorrels, who had participated in Presidential protection assignments
in Dallas since a visit by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, as
testified that the traditional parade route in Dallas was along Main
Street, since the tall buildings along the street gave more people an
opportunity to participate. The route chosen from the airport to Main
Street was the normal one, except where Harwood Street was selected as
the means of access to Main Street in preference to a short stretch of
the Central Expressway, which presented a minor safety hazard and
could not accommodate spectators as conveniently as Harwood Street.41
According to Lawson, the chosen route seemed to be the best.

It afforded us wide streets most of the way, because of the buses
that were in the motorcade. It afforded us a chance to have alternative routes if something
happened on the motorcade route. It was the type of suburban area a good part of the way where the crowds
would be able to be controlled for a great distance, and we figured that the largest crowds would be
downtown, which they were, and that the wide streets that we would use downtown would be of
sufficient width to keep the public out of our way.42

Elm Street, parallel to Main Street and one block north, was not used
for the main portion of the downtown part of the motorcade because
Main Street offered better vantage points for spectators.

To reach the Trade Mart from Main Street the agents decided
to use the Stemmons Freeway (Route No. 77), the most direct route. The
only practical way for westbound traffic on Main Street to reach the
northbound lanes of the Stemmons Freeway is via Elm Street, which
Route No. 77 traffic is instructed to follow in this part of the city.
( See Commission Exhibit No. 2113, p. 34.) Elm Street was to be
reached from Main by turning right at Houston, going one block north
and then turning left onto Elm. On this last portion of the journey,
only 5 minutes from the Trade Mart, the President's motorcade would
pass the Texas School Book Depository Building on the northwest corner
of Houston and Elm Streets. The building overlooks Dealey Plaza,

This page reproduces Commission Exhibit No. 2967: A photograph showing the "Traffic sign on Main
Street which directs westbound traffic to turn right at Houston Street to gain access to the Dallas-Fort
Worth Turnpike."

Page 39

an attractively landscaped triangle of 3 acres. (See Commission
Exhibit No. 876, p. 33.) From Houston Street, which forms the base of
the triangle, three streets--Commerce, Main, and Elm--trisect the
plaza, converging at the apex of the triangle to form a triple
underpass beneath a multiple railroad bridge almost 500 feet from
Houston Street.48 Elm Street, the northernmost of the three, after
intersecting Houston curves in a southwesterly arc through the
underpass and leads into an access road, which branches off to the
right and is used by traffic going to the Stemmons Freeway and the
Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike. (See Commission Exhibits Nos. 2113-2116,
pp. 34-37.)

The Elm Street approach to the Stemmons Freeway is necessary
in order to avoid the traffic hazards which would otherwise exist if
right turns were permitted from both Main and Elm into the freeway. To
create this traffic pattern, a concrete barrier between Main and Elm
Streets presents an obstacle to a right turn from Main across Elm to
the access road to Stemmons Freeway and the Dallas-Fort Worth
Turnpike. This concrete barrier extends far enough beyond the access
road to make it impracticable for vehicles to turn right from Main
directly to the access road. A sign located on this barrier instructs
Main Street traffic not to make any turns.45 (See Commission Exhibits
Nos. 2114-2116, pp. 35-37.) In conformity with these arrangements,
traffic proceeding west on Main is directed to turn right at Houston
in order to reach the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike, which has the same
access road from Elm Street as does the Stemmons Freeway.46 (See
Commission Exhibit No. 2967, p. 38.)

The planning for the motorcade also included advance
preparations for security arrangements along the route. Sorrels and
Lawson reviewed the route in cooperation with Assistant Chief Bachelor
and other Dallas police officials who took notes on the requirements
for controlling the crowds and traffic, watching the overpasses, and
providing motorcycle escort.47 To control traffic, arrangements were
made for the deployment of foot patrolmen and motorcycle police at
various positions along the route.48 Police were assigned to each
overpass on the route and instructed to keep them clear of
unauthorized persons. No arrangements were made for police or
building custodians to inspect buildings along the motorcade route
since the Secret Service did not normally request or make such a
check? Under standard procedures, the responsibility for watching the
windows of buildings was shared by local police stationed along the
route and Secret Service agents riding in the motorcade.51

As the date for the President's visit approached, the two Dallas
newspapers carried several reports of his motorcade route. The
selection of the Trade Mart as the possible site for the luncheon
first appeared in the Dallas Times-Herald on November 15, 1963. The
following day, the newspaper reported that the Presidential party
"apparently will loop through the downtown area, probably on Main
Street, en route from Dallas Love Field" on its way to the Trade

Page 40

Mart. On November 19, the Times-Herald afternoon paper detailed the
precise route:

From the airport, the President's party will proceed to Mockingbird
Lane to Lemmon and then to Turtle Creek, turning south to Cedar Springs.
The motorcade will then pass through downtown on Harwood and then west
on Main, turning back to Elm at Houston and then out Stemmons Freeway
to the Trade Mart.54

Also on November 19, the Morning News reported that the President's
motorcade would travel from Love Field along specified streets, then
"Harwood to Main, Main to Houston, Houston to Elm, Elm under the
Triple Underpass to Stemmons Freeway, and on to the Trade Mart." On
November 20 a front page story reported that the streets on which the
Presidential motorcade would travel included "Main and Stemmons
Freeway." On the morning of the President's arrival, the Morning News
noted that the motorcade would travel through downtown Dallas onto the
Stemmons Freeway, and reported that "the motorcade will move slowly so
that crowds can 'get a good view' of President Kennedy and his wife."
57

The President's intention to pay a visit to Texas in the fall of
1963 aroused interest throughout the State. The two Dallas newspapers
provided their readers with a steady stream of information and
speculation about the trip, beginning on September 13, when the
Times-Herald announced in a front page article that President Kennedy
was planning a brief l-day tour of four Texas cities--Dallas, Fort
Worth, San Antonio, and Houston.58 Both Dallas papers cited White
House sources on September 26 as confirming the President's intention
to visit Texas on November 21 and 22, with Dallas scheduled as one of
the stops.

Articles, editorials, and letters to the editor in the Dallas
Morning News and the Dallas Times-Herald after September 13 reflected
the feeling in the community toward the forthcoming Presidential
visit. Although there were critical editorials and letters to the
editors, the news stories reflected the desire of Dallas officials to
welcome the President with dignity and courtesy. An editorial in the
Times-Herald of September 17 called on the people of Dallas to be
"congenial hosts" even though "Dallas didn't vote for Mr. Kennedy in
1960, may not endorse him in '64." On October 3 the Dallas Morning
News quoted U.S. Representative Joe Pool's hope that President Kennedy
would receive a "good welcome" and would not face demonstrations like
those encountered by Vice President Johnson during the 1960
campaign.61

Page 41

Increased concern about the President's visit was aroused by the
incident involving the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai E.
Stevenson. On the evening of October 24, 1963, after addressing a
meeting in Dallas, Stevenson was jeered, jostled, and spat upon by
hostile demonstrators outside the Dallas Memorial Auditorium
Theater.62 The local, national, and international reaction to this
incident evoked from Dallas officials and newspapers strong
condemnations of the demonstrators. Mayor Earle Cabell called on the
city to redeem itself during President Kennedy's visit.63 He asserted
that Dallas had shed its reputation of the twenties as the "Southwest
hate capital of Dixie." 64 On October 26 the press reported Chief of
Police Curry's plans to call in 100 extra off-duty officers to help
protect President Kennedy.65 Any thought that the President might
cancel his visit to Dallas was ended when Governor Connally confirmed
on November 8 that the President would come to Texas on November
21-22, and that he would visit San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth,
Dallas, and Austin.66

During November the Dallas papers reported frequently on the plans
for protecting the President, stressing the thoroughness of the
preparations. They conveyed the pleas of Dallas leaders that citizens
not demonstrate or create disturbances during the President's visit.
On November 18 the Dallas City Council adopted a new city ordinance
prohibiting interference with attendance at lawful assemblies.67 Two
days before the President's arrival Chief Curry warned that the Dallas
police would not permit improper conduct during the President's
visit.68

Meanwhile, on November 17 the president of the Dallas Chamber of
Commerce referred to the city's reputation for being the friendliest
town in America and asserted that citizens would "greet the President
of the United States with the warmth and pride that keep the Dallas
spirit famous the world over." 69 Two days later, a local Republican
leader called for a "civilized nonpartisan" welcome for President
Kennedy, stating that "in many respects Dallas County has isolated
itself from the main stream of life in the world in this decade." 70

Another reaction to the impending visit -- hostile to the
President --came to a head shortly before his arrival. On November 21
there appeared on the streets of Dallas the anonymous handbill
mentioned above. It was fashioned after the "wanted" circulars issued
by law enforcement agencies. Beneath two photographs of President
Kennedy, one full- face and one profile, appeared the caption, "Wanted
for Treason," followed by a scurrilous bill of particulars that
constituted a vilification of the President.71 And on the morning of
the President's arrival, there appeared in the Morning News a full ,
black-bordered advertisement headed "Welcome Mr. Kennedy to Dallas,"
sponsored by the American Fact-finding Committee, which the sponsor
later testified was an ad hoc committee "formed strictly for the
purpose of having a name to put in the paper." The "welcome"
consisted of a series of statements and questions critical of the

The trip to Texas began with the departure of President and Mrs.
Kennedy from the White House by helicopter at 10:45 a.m., e.s.t., on
November 21, 1963, for Andrews AFB. They took off in the Presidential
plane, Air Force One, at 11 a.m., arriving at San Antonio at 1:30
p.m., e.s.t. They were greeted by Vice President Johnson and Governor
Connally, who joined the Presidential party in a motorcade through San
Antonio.74 During the afternoon, President Kennedy dedicated the U.S.
Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks AFB.75 Late in the
afternoon he flew to Houston where he rode through the city in a
motorcade, spoke at the Rice University Stadium, and attended a dinner
in honor of U.S. Representative Albert Thomas.76

At Rice Stadium a very large, enthusiastic crowd greeted the
President. In Houston, as elsewhere during the trip, the crowds showed
much interest in Mrs. Kennedy. David F. Powers of the President's
staff later stated that when the President asked for his assessment of
the day's activities, Powers replied "that the crowd was about the
same as the one which came to see him before but there were 100,000
extra people on hand who came to see Mrs. Kennedy." 78 Late in the
evening, the Presidential party flew to Fort Worth where they spent
the night at the Texas Hotel.

On the morning of November 22, President Kennedy attended a
breakfast at the hotel and afterward addressed a crowd at an open
parking lot.80 The President liked outdoor appearances because more
people could see and hear him.81 Before leaving the hotel, the
President, Mrs. Kennedy, and Kenneth O'Donnell talked about the risks
inherent in Presidential public appearances. According to O'Donnell,
the President commented that "if anybody really wanted to shoot the
President of the United States, it was not a very difficult job--all
one had to do was get a high building someday with a telescopic rifle,
and there was nothing anybody could do to defend against such an
attempt." Upon concluding the conversation, the President prepared
to depart for Dallas.

In Dallas the rain had stopped, and by midmorning a gloomy
overcast sky had given way to the bright. sunshine that greeted the
Presidential party when Air Force One touched down at Love Field at
11:40 a.m., e.s.t. Governor and Mrs. Connally and Senator Ralph W.
Yarborough had come with the President from Fort Worth.85 Vice
President Johnson's airplane, Air Force Two, had arrived at Love

Page 43

Field at approximately 11:35 a.m., and the Vice President and Mrs.
Johnson were in the receiving line to greet President and Mrs.
Kennedy.86

After a welcome from the Dallas reception committee, President and
Mrs. Kennedy walked along a chain-link fence at the reception area
greeting a large crowd of spectators that had gathered behind it.87
Secret Service agents formed a cordon to keep the press and
photographers from impeding their passage and scanned the crowd for
threatening movements.88 Dallas police stood at intervals along the
fence and Dallas plain clothes men mixed in the crowd.89 Vice
President and Mrs. Johnson followed along the fence, guarded by four
members of the Vice-Presidential detail.90 Approximately 10 minutes
after the arrival at Love Field, the President and Mrs. Kennedy went
to the Presidential automobile to begin the motorcade.91

Secret Service arrangements for Presidential trips, which were
followed in the Dallas motorcade, are designed to provide protection
while permitting large numbers of people to see the President. Every
effort is made to prevent unscheduled stops, although the President
may, and in Dallas did, order stops in order to greet the public.93
Men the motorcade slows or stops, agents take positions between the
President and the crowd.94 The order of vehicles in the Dallas
motorcade was as follows:

Motorcycles.--Dallas police motorcycles preceded the pilot
car.95

The pilot car.--Manned by officers of the Dallas Police
Department, this automobile preceded the main party by approximately
quarter of a mile. Its function was to alert police along the route
that the motorcade was approaching and to check for signs of
trouble.96

Motorcycles.--Next came four to six motorcycle policemen whose
main purpose was to keep the crowd back.

The lead car.--Described as a "rolling command car," this was an
unmarked Dallas police car, driven by Chief of Police Curry and
occupied by Secret Service Agents Sorrels and Lawson and by Dallas
County Sheriff J. E. Decker. The occupants scanned the crowd and the
buildings along the route. Their main function was to spot trouble in
advance and to direct any necessary steps to meet the trouble.
Following normal practice, the lead automobile stayed proximately four
to five car lengths ahead of the President's limousine.98

The Presidential limousine.--The President's automobile was specially
designed 1961 Lincoln convertible with two collapsible jump seats
between the front and rear seats. (See Commission Exhibit No. 346, p.
44.) It was outfitted with a clear plastic bubbletop which was
neither bulletproof nor bullet resistant.100 Because the skies had
cleared in Dallas, Lawson directed that the top not be used for the
day's activities. He acted on instructions he had received

Page 44

This page reproduces Commission Exhibit No. 346: a photograph showing the Interior of Presidential
Limousine used on November 22, 1963.

Page 45

earlier from Assistant Special Agent in Charge Roy H. Kellerman, who
was in Fort Worth with the President.101 Kellerman had discussed the
matter with O'Donnell, whose instructions were, "If the weather is
clear and it is not raining, have that bubbletop off." Elevated
approximately 15 inches above the back of the front seat was a
metallic frame with four handholds that riders in the car could grip
while standing in the rear seat during parades.103 At the rear on each
side of the automobile were small running boards, each designed to
hold a Secret Service agent, with a metallic handle for the rider to
grasp.104 The President had frequently stated that he did not want
agents to ride on these steps during a motorcade except when
necessary. He had repeated this wish only a few days before, during
his visit to Tampa, Fla.105

President Kennedy rode on the right-hand side of the rear seat
with Mrs. Kennedy on his left.106 Governor Connally occupied the
right jump seat, Mrs. Connally the left.107 Driving the Presidential
limousine was Special Agent William R. Greer of the Secret Service; on
his right sat Kellerman.108 Kellerman's responsibilities included
maintaining radio communications with the lead and follow-up cars,
scanning the route, and getting out and standing near the President
when the cars stopped.

Motorcycles.--Four motorcycles, two on each side, flanked the rear
of the Presidential car. They provided some cover for the President,
but their main purpose was to keep back the crowd.109 On previous
occasions, the President had requested that, to the extent possible,
these flanking motorcycles keep back from the sides of his car.110

Presidential follow-up car.--This vehicle, a 1955 Cadillac
eight-passenger convertible especially outfitted for the Secret
Service, followed closely behind the President's automobile.111 It
carried eight Secret Service agents--two in the front seat, two in the
rear, and two on each of the right and left running boards.112 Each
agent carried a .38-caliber pistol, and a shotgun and automatic rifle
were also available.113 Presidential Assistants David F. Powers and
Kenneth O'Donnell sat in the right and left jump seats,
respectively.114

The agents in this car, under established procedure, had
instructions to watch the route for signs of trouble, scanning not
only the crowds but the windows and roofs of buildings, overpasses,
and crossings. They were instructed to watch particularly for thrown
objects, sudden actions in the crowd, and any movements toward the
Presidential car. The agents on the front of the running boards had
directions to move immediately to positions just to the rear of the
President and Mrs. Kennedy when the President's car slowed to a
walking pace or stopped, or when the press of the crowd made it
impossible for the escort motorcycles to stay in position on the car's
rear flanks.117 The two agents on the rear of the running boards were to
advance toward the front of the President's car whenever it stopped or
slowed down sufficiently for them to do so.118

Vice-Presidential car.--The Vice-Presidential automobile, a
four-door Lincoln convertible obtained locally for use in the motor-

Page 46

cade, proceeded approximately two to three car lengths behind the
President's follow-up car.119 This distance was maintained so that
spectators would normally turn their gaze from the President's
automobile by the time the Vice President came into view.120 Vice
President Johnson sat on the right-hand side of the rear seat, Mrs.
Johnson in the center, and Senator Yarborough on the left. 121 Rufus
W. Youngblood, special agent in charge of the Vice President's detail,
occupied the right-hand side of the front seat, and Hurchel Jacks of
the Texas State Highway patrol was the driver.122

Vice-Presidential follow-up car.--Driven by an officer of the
Dallas Police Department, this vehicle was occupied by three Secret
Service agents and Clifton C. Garter, assistant to the Vice
President.123 These agents performed for the Vice President the same
functions that the agents in the Presidential follow-up car performed
for the President.

Remainder of motorcade.--The remainder of the motorcade consisted
of five cars for other dignitaries, including the mayor of Dallas and
Texas Congressmen, telephone and Western Union vehicles, a White House
communications car, three cars for press photographers, an official
party bus for White House staff members and others, and two press
buses. Admiral George G. Burkley, physician to the President, was in
a car following those "containing the local and national
representatives." 124

Police car and motorcycles. 125 --A Dallas police car and several
motorcycles at the rear kept the motorcade together and prevented
unauthorized vehicles from joining the motorcade.

Communications in the motorcade. 126 --A base station at a fixed
location in Dallas operated a radio network which linked together the
lead car, Presidential car, Presidential follow-up car, White House
communications car, Trade Mart, Love Field, and the Presidential and
Vice-Presidential airplanes. The Vice-Presidential car and
Vice-Presidential follow-up car used portable sets with a separate
frequency for their own car-to-car communication.

The motorcade left Love Field shortly after 11:50 a.m. and drove
at speeds up to 25 to 30 miles an hour through thinly populated areas
on the outskirts of Dallas.127 At the President's direction, his
automobile stopped twice, the first time to permit him to respond to a
sign asking him to shake hands.128 During this brief stop, agents in
the front positions on the running boards of the Presidential follow-up
car came forward and stood beside the President's car, looking out
toward the crowd, and Special Agent Kellerman assumed his position
next to the car.129 On the other occasion, the President halted the
motorcade to speak to a Catholic nun and a group of small children.130

In the downtown area, large crowds of spectators gave the
President a tremendous reception.131 The crowds were so dense

that Special Agent Clinton J. Hill had to leave the left front running
board of the President's follow-up car four times to ride on the rear
of the President's limousine.132 (See Commission Exhibit No. 698, p.
47.) Several times Special Agent John D. Ready came forward from the
right front running board of the Presidential follow-up car to the
right side of the President's car.133 Special Agent Glen A. Bennett
once left his place inside the follow-up car to help keep the crowd
away from the President's car. When a teenage boy ran toward the rear
of the President's car,184 Ready left the running board to chase the
boy back into the crowd. On several occasions when the Vice
President's car was slowed down by the throng, Special Agent
Youngblood stepped out to hold the crowd back.135

According to plan, the President's motorcade proceeded west
through downtown Dallas on Main Street to the intersection of Houston
Street, which marks the beginning of Dealey Plaza.136 From Main
Street the motorcade turned right and went north on Houston Street,
passing tall buildings on the right, and headed toward the Texas
School Book Depository Building.137 The spectators were still thickly
congregated in front of the buildings which lined the east side of
Houston Street, but the crowd thinned abruptly along Elm Street, which
curves in a southwesterly direction as it proceeds downgrade toward
the Triple Underpass and the Stemmons Freeway.138

As the motorcade approached the intersection of Houston and Elm
Streets, there was general gratification in the Presidential party
about the enthusiastic reception. Evaluating the political
overtones, Kenneth O'Donnell was especially pleased because it
convinced him that the average Dallas resident was like other American
citizens in respecting and admiring the President. 139 Mrs.
Connally, elated by the reception, turned to President Kennedy and
said, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." The
President replied, "That is very obvious."

At 12:30 p.m., e.s.t., as the President's open limousine
proceeded at approximately 11 miles per hour along Elm Street toward
the Triple Underpass, shots fired from a rifle mortally wounded
President Kennedy and seriously injured Governor Connally. One bullet
passed through the President's neck; a subsequent bullet, which was
lethal, shattered the right side of his skull. Governor Connally
sustained bullet wounds in his back, the right side of his chest,
right wrist, and left thigh.

The exact time of the assassination was fixed by the testimony of
four witnesses. Special Agent Rufus W. Youngblood observed that the
large electric sign clock atop the Texas School Book Depository
Building showed the numerals "12:30" as the Vice-Presidential
automobile proceeded north on Houston Street, a few seconds before the

Page 49

shots were fired.141 Just prior to the shooting, David F. Powers,
riding in the Secret Service follow-up car, remarked to Kenneth
O'Donnell that it was 12:30 p.m., the time they were due at the Trade
Mart.142 Seconds after the shooting, Roy Kellerman, riding in the
front seat of the Presidential limousine, looked at his watch and said
"12:30" to the driver, Special Agent Greer.143 The Dallas police
radio log reflects that Chief of Police Curry reported the shooting
of the President and issued his initial orders at 12:30 p.m.144

William Greer, operator of the Presidential limousine, estimated the
car's speed at the time of the first shot as 12 to 15 miles per hour.
144 Other witnesses in the motorcade estimated the speed of the
President's limousine from 7 to 22 miles per hour.146 A more precise
determination has been made from motion pictures taken on the scene by
an amateur photographer, Abraham Zapruder. Based on these films, the
speed of the President's automobile is computed at an average speed of
11.2 miles per hour. The car maintained this average speed over a
distance of approximately 186 feet immediately preceding the shot
which struck the President in the head. While the car traveled this
distance, the Zapruder camera ran 152 frames. Since the camera
operates at a speed of 18.3 frames per second, it was calculated that
the car required 8.3 seconds to cover the 136 feet. This represents a
speed of 11.2 miles per hour.147

Mrs. John F. Kennedy, on the left of the rear seat of the
limousine, looked toward her left and waved to the crowds along the
route. Soon after the motorcade turned onto Elm Street., she heard a
sound similar to a motorcycle noise and a cry from Governor Connally,
which caused her to look to her right. On turning she saw a quizzical
look on her husband's face as he raised his left hand to his throat.
Mrs. Kennedy then heard a second shot and saw the President's skull
torn open under the impact of the bullet. As she cradled her mortally
wounded husband, Mrs. Kennedy cried, "Oh, my God, they have shot my
husband. I love you, Jack." 148

Governor Connally testified that he recognized the first noise
as a rifle shot and the thought immediately crossed his mind that it
was an assassination attempt. From his position in the right jump
seat immediately in front of the President, he instinctively turned to
his right because the shot appeared to come from over his right
shoulder. Unable to see the President as he turned to the right, the
Governor started to look back over his left shoulder, but he never
completed the turn because he felt something strike him in the
back.149 In his testimony before the Commission, Governor Connally was
certain that he was hit by the second shot, which he stated he did not
hear.150

Page 50

Mrs. Connally, too, heard a frightening noise from her right.
Looking over her right shoulder, she saw that the President had both
hands at his neck but she observed no blood and heard nothing. She
watched as he slumped down with an empty expression on his face.151
Roy Kellerman, in the right front seat of the limousine, heard a
report like a firecracker pop. Turning to his right in the direction
of the noise, Kellerman heard the President say "My God, I am hit,"
and saw both of the President's hands move up toward his neck. As he
told the driver, "Let's get out of here; we are hit," Kellerman
grabbed his microphone and radioed ahead to the lead car, "We are hit. Get us
to the hospital immediately." 152

The driver, William Greer, heard a noise which he took to be a
backfire from one of the motorcycles flanking the Presidential car.
When he heard the same noise again, Greer glanced over his shoulder
and saw Governor Connally fall. At the-sound of the second shot he
realized that something was wrong, and he pressed down on the
accelerator as Kellerman said, "Get out of here fast." 153 As he
issued his instructions to Greer and to the lead car, Kellerman heard
a "flurry of shots" Within 5 seconds of the first noise. According to
Kellerman, Mrs. Kennedy then cried out: "What are they doing to you!"
Looking back from the front seat, Kellerman saw Governor Connally in
his wife's lap and Special Agent Clinton J. Hill lying across the
trunk of the car.154

Mrs. Connally heard a second shot fired and pulled her husband
down into her lap. 155 Observing his blood-covered chest as he was
pulled into his wife's lap, Governor Connally believed himself
mortally wounded. He cried out, "Oh, no, no, no. My God, they are
going to kill us all." 156 At first Mrs. Connally thought that her
husband had been killed, but then she noticed an almost imperceptible
movement and knew that he was still alive. She said, "It's all right.
Be still." 157 The Governor was lying with his head on his wife's
lap when he heard a shot hit the President.158 At that point, both
Governor and Mrs. Connally observed brain tissue splattered over the
interior of the car.159 According to Governor and Mrs. Connally, it
was after this shot that Kellerman issued his emergency instructions
and the car accelerated. 160

From the left front running board of the President's follow-up car,
Special Agent Hill was scanning the few people standing on the south
side of Elm Street after the motorcade had turned off Houston Street.
He estimated that the motorcade had slowed down to approximately 9 or
10 miles per hour on the turn at the intersection of Houston and Elm
Streets and then proceeded at a rate of 12 to 15 miles per hour with
the follow-up car trailing the President's automobile by approximately
5 feet. 161 Hill heard a noise, which seemed to be a firecracker,
coming from his right rear. He immediately looked to his right, "and,
in so doing, my eyes had to cross the Presidential limousine and I saw
President Kennedy grab at himself and lurch forward and to the

Page 51

left." 162 Hill jumped from the follow-up car and ran to the
President's automobile. At about the time he reached the President's
automobile, Hill heard a second shot, approximately 5 seconds after
the first, which removed a portion of the President's head.163

At the instant that Hill stepped onto the left rear step of the
President's automobile and grasped the handhold, the car lurched
forward, causing him to lose his footing. He ran three or four steps,
regained his position and mounted the car. Between the time he
originally seized the handhold and the time he mounted the car, Hill
recalled:

Mrs. Kennedy had jumped up from the seat and was, it appeared to me,
reaching for something coming off the fight rear bumper of the car,
the right rear tail, when she noticed that I was trying to climb on
the car. She turned toward me and I grabbed her and put her back in
the back seat, crawled up on top of the back seat and lay there.164

David Powers, who witnessed the scene from the President's follow-up
car, stated that Mrs. Kennedy would probably have fallen off the rear
end of the car and been killed if Hill had not pushed her back into
the Presidential automobile.165 Mrs. Kennedy had no recollection of
climbing onto the back of the car.166

Special Agent Ready, on the right front running board of the
Presidential follow-up car, heard noises that sounded like firecrackers
and ran toward the President's limousine. But he was immediately
called back by Special Agent Emory P. Roberts, in charge of the
follow-up car, who did not believe that he could reach, the President's
car at the speed it was then traveling.167 Special Agent George W.
Hickey, Jr., in the rear seat of the Presidential follow-up car, picked
up and cocked an automatic rifle as he heard the last shot. At this
point the cars were speeding through the underpass and had left the
scene of the shooting, but Hickey kept the automatic weapon ready as
the car raced to the hospital.168 Most of the other Secret Service
agents in the motorcade had drawn their sidearms.169 Roberts noticed
that the Vice President's car was approximately one-half block behind
the Presidential follow-up car at the time of the shooting and signaled
for it to move in closer.170

Directing the security detail for the Vice President from the
right front seat of the Vice-Presidential car, Special Agent
Youngblood recalled:

As we were beginning to go down this incline, all of a sudden there
was an explosive noise. I quickly observed unnatural movement of
crowds, like ducking or scattering, and quick movements in the
Presidential follow-up car. So I turned around and hit the Vice
President on the shoulder and hollered, get down, and then looked
around again and saw more of this movement, and so I proceeded to go
to the back seat and get on top of him. 171

Page 52

Youngblood was not positive that he was in the rear seat before the
second shot, but thought it probable because of President Johnson's
statement to that effect immediately after the assassination.172
President Johnson emphasized Youngblood's instantaneous reaction after
the first shot:

I was startled by the sharp report or explosion, but I had no
time to speculate as to its origin because Agent Youngblood turned in a flash, immediately after the
first explosion, hitting me on the shoulder, and shouted to all of us in the back seat to get down.
I was pushed down by Agent Youngblood. Almost in the same moment in which he hit or pushed
me, he vaulted over the back seat and sat on me. I was bent over under the weight of Agent
Youngblood's body, toward Mrs. Johnson and Senator Yarborough.178

Clifton C. Carter, riding in the Vice President's follow-up car a short
distance behind, reported that Youngblood was in the rear seat using
his body to shield the Vice President before the second and third
shots were fired.174

Other Secret Service agents assigned to the motorcade remained at
their posts during the race to the hospital. None stayed at the scene
of the shooting, and none entered the Texas School Book Depository
Building at or immediately after the shooting. Secret Service
procedure requires that each agent stay with the person being
protected and not be diverted unless it is necessary to accomplish the
protective assignment.175 Forrest V. Sorrels, special agent in charge
of the Dallas office, was the first Secret Service agent to return to
the scene of the assassination, approximately 20 or 25 minutes after
the shots were fired.176

In the final instant of the assassination, the Presidential motorcade
began a race to Parkland Memorial Hospital, approximately 4 miles from
the Texas School Book Depository Building.177 On receipt of the radio
message from Kellerman to the lead car that the President had been
hit, Chief of Police Curry and police motorcyclists at the head of the
motorcade led the way to the hospital.178 Meanwhile, Chief Curry
ordered the police base station to notify Parkland Hospital that the
wounded President was en route.170 The radio log of the Dallas Police
Department shows that at 12:30 p.m. on November 22 Chief Curry
radioed, "Go to the hospital--Parkland Hospital. Have them stand by."
A moment later Curry added, "Looks like the President has been hit.
Have Parkland stand by." The base station replied, "They have been
notified." 180 Traveling at speeds estimated at times to be up to 70
or 80 miles per hour down the Stemmons Freeway and Harry Hines

Page 53

Boulevard, the Presidential limousine arrived at the emergency
entrance of the Parkland Hospital at about 12:35 p.m.181 Arriving
almost simultaneously were the President's follow-up car, the Vice
President's automobile, and the Vice President's follow-up car.
Admiral Burkley, the President's physician, arrived at the hospital
"between 3 and 5 minutes following the arrival of the President,"
since the riders in his car "were not exactly aware what had happened"
and the car went on to the Trade Mart first.182

When Parkland Hospital received the notification, the staff in the
emergency area was alerted and trauma rooms 1 and 2 were prepared.183
These rooms were for the emergency treatment of acutely ill or injured
patients.184 Although the first message mentioned an injury only to
President Kennedy, two rooms were prepared.185 As the President's
limousine sped toward the hospital, 12 doctors to the emergency area:
surgeons, Drs. Malcolm O. Perry, Charles R. Baxter, Robert N.
McClelland, Ronald C. Jones; the chief neurologist, Dr. William Kemp
Clark; 4 anesthesiologists, Drs. Marion T. Jenkins, Adolph H.
Giesecke, Jr., Jackie H. Hunt, Gene C. Akin; urological surgeon, Dr
Paul C. Peters; an oral surgeon, Dr. Don T. Curtis; and a heart
specialist, Dr. Fouad A. Bashour.186

Upon arriving at Parkland Hospital, Lawson jumped from the lead
car and rushed into the emergency entrance, where he was met by
hospital staff members wheeling stretchers out to the automobile. 187
Special Agent Hill removed his suit jacket and covered the President's
head and upper chest to prevent the taking of photographs.188
Governor Connally, who had lost consciousness on the ride to the
hospital, regained consciousness when the limousine stopped abruptly
at the emergency entrance. Despite his serious wounds, Governor
Connally tried to get out of the way so that medical help could reach
the President. Although he was reclining in his wife's arms, he
lurched forward in an effort to stand upright and get out of the car,
but he collapsed again. Then he experienced his first sensation of
pain, which became excruciating.189 The Governor was lifted onto a
stretcher and taken into trauma room 2. 190 For a moment, Mrs.
Kennedy refused to release the President, whom she held in her lap,
but then Kellerman, Greer, and Lawson lifted the President onto a
stretcher and pushed it into trauma room 1. 191

The first physician to see the President at Parkland Hospital was
Dr. Charles J. Carrico, a resident in general surgery.192 Dr. Carrico
was in the emergency area, examining another patient, when he was
notified that President Kennedy was en route to the hospital. 193
Approximately 2 minutes later, Dr. Carrico saw the President on his
back, being wheeled into the emergency area.194 He noted that the
President was blue-white or ashen in color; had slow, spasmodic,
agonal respiration without any coordination; made no voluntary
movements; had his eyes open with the pupils dilated without any
reaction

Page 54

to light; evidenced no palpable pulse; and had a few chest sounds
which were thought to be heart beats.195 On the basis of these
findings, Dr. Carrico concluded that President Kennedy was still
alive.196

Dr. Carrico noted two wounds: a small bullet wound in the front
lower neck, and an extensive wound in the President's head where a
sizable portion of the skull was missing.197 He observed shredded
brain tissue and "considerable slow oozing" from the latter wound,
followed by "more profuse bleeding" after some circulation was
established.198 Dr. Carrico felt the President's back and determined
that there was no large wound there which would be an immediate threat
to life.199 Observing the serious problems presented by the head
wound and inadequate respiration, Dr. Carrico directed his attention
to improving the President's breathing.200 He noted contusions,
hematoma to the right of the larynx, which was deviated slightly to
the left, and also ragged tissue which indicated a tracheal injury.201
Dr. Carrico inserted a cuffed endotracheal tube past the injury,
inflated the cuff, and connected it to a Bennett machine to assist in
respiration.202

At that point, direction of the President's treatment was
undertaken by Dr. Malcolm O. Perry, who arrived at trauma room 1 a few
moments after the President.203 Dr. Perry noted the President's back
brace as he felt for a femoral pulse, which he did not find.0204
Observing that an effective airway had to be established if treatment
was to be effective, Dr. Perry performed a tracheotomy, which required
3 to 5 minutes.205 While Dr. Perry was performing the tracheotomy,
Drs. Carrico and Ronald Jones made cutdowns on the President's right
leg and left arm, respectively, to infuse blood and fluids into the
circulatory system.206 Dr. Carrico treated the President's known
ad-renal insufficiency by administering hydrocortisone.207 Dr. Robert
N. McClelland entered at that point and assisted Dr. Perry with the
tracheotomy.208

Dr. Fouad Bashour, chief of cardiology, Dr. M. T. Jenkins,
chief of anesthesiology, and Dr. A. H. Giesecke, Jr., then joined in
the effort to revive the President.0209 When Dr. Perry noted free air
and blood in the President's chest cavity, he asked that chest tubes
be inserted to allow for drainage of blood and air. Drs. Paul C.
Peters and Charles R. Baxter initiated these procedures.210 As a
result of the infusion of liquids through the cutdowns, the cardiac
massage, and the airway, the doctors were able to maintain peripheral
circulation as monitored at the neck (carotid) artery and at the wrist
(radial) pulse. A femoral pulse was also detected in the President's
leg.211 While these medical efforts were in progress, Dr. Clark noted
some electrical activity on the cardiotachyscope attached to monitor
the President's heart responses.212 Dr. Clark, who most closely
observed the head wound, described a large, gaping wound in the right
rear part of the head, with substantial damage and exposure of brain
tissue, and a considerable loss of blood.213 Dr. Clark did not see any
other hole or wound on the President's head. According to Dr. Clark,

Page 55

the small bullet hole on the right rear. of the President's head
discovered during the subsequent autopsy "could have easily been
hidden in the blood and hair"

In the absence of any neurological, muscular, or heart response,
the doctors concluded that efforts to revive the President were
hopeless.215 This was verified by Admiral Burkley, the President's
physician, who arrived at the hospital after emergency treatment was
underway and concluded that "my direct services to him at that moment
would have interfered with the action of the team which was in
progress." 216 At approximately 1 p.m., after last rites were
administered to the President by Father Oscar L. Huber, Dr. Clark
pronounced the President dead. He made the official determination
because the ultimate cause of death, the severe head injury, was
within his sphere of specialization.217 The time was fixed at 1 p.m.,
as an approximation, since it was impossible to determine the precise
moment when life left the President.218 President Kennedy could have
survived the neck injury, but the head wound was fatal.219 From a
medical viewpoint, President Kennedy was alive when he arrived at
Parkland Hospital; the doctors observed that he had a heart beat and
was making some respiratory efforts.220 But his condition was
hopeless, and the extraordinary efforts of the doctors to save him
could not help but to have been unavailing.

Since the Dallas doctors directed all their efforts to controlling
the massive bleeding caused by the head wound, and to reconstructing
an airway to his lungs, the President remained on his back throughout
his medical treatment at Parkland.221 When asked why he did not turn
the President over, Dr. Carrico testified as follows:

A. This man was in obvious extreme distress and any more thorough
inspection would have involved several minutes--well, several--considerable time which at this juncture was not available. A
thorough inspection would have involved washing and cleansing the
back, and this is not practical in treating an acutely injured
patient. You have to determine which things, which are immediately
life threatening and cope with them, before attempting to evaluate the
full extent of the injuries.

Q. Did you ever have occasion to look at the President's back A.
No, sir. Before--well, in trying to treat an acutely injured patient,
you have to establish an airway, adequate ventilation and you have to
establish adequate circulation. Before this was accomplished the
President's cardiac activity had ceased and closed cardiac massage was
instituted, which made it impossible to inspect his back.

Q. Was any effort made to inspect the President's back
after he had expired?

A. No, sir.

Q. And why was no effort made at that time to inspect his back?

A. I suppose nobody really had the heart to do it. 222

Page 56

Moreover, the Parkland doctors took no further action after the
President had expired because they concluded that it was beyond the
scope of their permissible duties.223

While one medical team tried to revive President Kennedy, a second
performed a series of operations on the bullet wounds sustained by
Governor Connally. 224 Governor Connally was originally seen by Dr.
Carrico and Dr. Richard Dulany.225 While Dr. Carrico went on to
attend the President, Dr. Dulany stayed with the Governor and was soon
joined by several other doctors.226 At approximately 12: 45 p.m., Dr.
Robert Shaw, chief of thoracic surgery, arrived at trauma room 2, to
take charge of the care of Governor Connally, whose major wound fell
within Dr. Shaw's area of specialization.227

Governor Connally had a large sucking wound in the front of the
right chest which caused extreme pain and difficulty in breathing.
Rubber tubes were inserted between the second and third ribs to
reexpand the right lung, which had collapsed because of the opening in
the chest wall. 228 At 1: 35 p.m., after Governor Connally had been
moved to the operating room, Dr. Shaw started the first operation by
cutting away the edges of the wound on the front of the Governor's
chest and suturing the damaged lung and lacerated muscles.229 The
elliptical wound in the Governor's back, located slightly to the left
of the Governor's right armpit approximately five-eighths inch (a
centimeter and a half) in its greatest diameter, was treated by
cutting away the damaged skin and suturing the back muscle and
skin.230 This operation was concluded at 3:20 p.m.231

Two additional operations were performed on Governor Connally for
wounds which he had not realized he had sustained until he regained
consciousness the following day.232 From approximately 4 p.m. to 4:50
p.m. on November 22, Dr. Charles F. Gregory, chief of orthopedic
surgery, operated on the wounds of Governor Connally's right wrist, assisted by Drs. William Osborne and John Parker.233 The wound
on the back of the wrist was left partially open for draining, and the
wound on the palm side was enlarged, cleansed, and closed. The
fracture was set., and a east was applied with some traction
utilized.234 While the second operation was in progress, Dr. George
T. Shires, assisted by Drs. Robert McClelland, Charles Baxter, and
Ralph Don Patman, treated the gunshot wound in the left thigh.235
This punctuate missile wound, about two-fifths inch in diameter
(1 centimeter) and located approximately 5 inches above the left
knee, was cleansed and closed with sutures; but a small metallic
fragment remained in the Governor's leg.236

As President Kennedy and Governor Connally were being removed
from the limousine onto stretchers, a protective circle of Secret
Service agents surrounded Vice President and Mrs. Johnson and escorted

Page 57

them into Parkland Hospital through the emergency entrance.237 The
agents moved a nurse and patient out of a nearby room, lowered the
shades, and took emergency security measures to protect the Vice
President.238 Two men from the President's follow-up car were detailed
to help protect the Vice President. An agent was stationed at the
entrance to stop anyone who was not a member of the Presidential
party. U.S. Representatives Henry B. Gonzalez, Jack Brooks, Homer
Thornberry, and Albert Thomas joined Clifton C. Carter and the group
of special agents protecting the Vice President.239 On one occasion
Mrs. Johnson, accompanied by two Secret Service agents, left the room
to see Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Connally.240

Concern that the Vice President might also be a target for
assassination prompted the Secret Service agents to urge him to leave
the hospital and return to Washington immediately.241 The Vice
President decided to wait until he received definitive word of the
President's condition.242 At approximately 1:20 p.m., Vice President
Johnson was notified by O'Donnell that President Kennedy was dead.243
Special Agent Youngblood learned from Mrs. Johnson the location of her
two daughters and made arrangements through Secret Service
headquarters in Washington to provide them with protection
immediately.244

When consulted by the Vice President, O'Donnell advised him
to go to the airfield immediately and return to Washington.245 It was
decided that the Vice President should return on the Presidential
plane rather than on the Vice-Presidential plane because it had
better communication equipment.246 The Vice President conferred with
White House Assistant Press Secretary Malcolm Kilduff and decided that
there would be no release of the news of the President's death until
the Vice President had left the hospital.247 When told that Mrs.
Kennedy refused to leave without the President's body, the Vice
President said that he would not leave Dallas without her.248 On the
recommendation of the Secret Service agents, Vice President Johnson
decided to board the Presidential airplane, Air Force One, and wait
for Mrs. Kennedy and the President's body.249

Immediately after President Kennedy's stretcher was wheeled into
trauma room 1, Secret Service agents took positions at the door of the
small emergency room. A nurse was asked to identify hospital
personnel and to tell everyone, except necessary medical staff
members, to leave the emergency room. Other Secret Service agents
posted themselves in the corridors and other areas near the emergency
room. Special Agent Lawson made certain that the Dallas police kept
the public and press away from the immediate area of the hospital.250
Agents Kellerman and Hill telephoned the head of the White House
detail, Gerald A. Behn, to advise him of the assassination. The
telephone line to Washington was kept open throughout the remainder of
the stay at the hospital.251

Page 58

Secret Service agents stationed at later stops on the President's
itinerary of November 22 were redeployed. Men at the Trade Mart were
driven to Parkland Hospital in Dallas police cars.252 The Secret
Service group awaiting the President in Austin were instructed to
return to Washington.253 Meanwhile, the Secret Service agents in
charge of security at Love Field started to make arrangements for
departure. As soon as one of the agents learned of the shooting, he
asked the officer in charge of the police detail at the airport to
institute strict security measures for the Presidential aircraft, the
airport terminal, and the surrounding area. The police were cautioned
to prevent picture taking. Secret Service agents working with police
cleared the areas adjacent to the aircraft, including warehouses,
other terminal buildings and the neighboring parking lots, of all
people.254 The agents decided not to shift the Presidential aircraft
to the far side of the airport because the original landing area was
secure and a move would require new measures.255

When security arrangements at the airport were complete, the
Secret Service made the necessary arrangements for the Vice President
to leave the hospital. Unmarked police cars took the Vice President
and Mrs. Johnson from Parkland Hospital to Love Field. Chief Curry
drove one automobile occupied by Vice President Johnson, U.S.
Representatives Thomas and Thornberry, and Special Agent Youngblood.
In another car Mrs. Johnson was driven to the airport accompanied by
Secret Service agents and Representative Brooks. Motorcade policemen
who escorted the automobiles were requested by the Vice President and
Agent Youngblood not to use sirens. During the drive Vice President
Johnson, at Youngblood's instruction, kept below window level.256

While the team of doctors at Parkland Hospital tried desperately
to save the life of President Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy alternated between
watching them and waiting outside.257 After the President was
pronounced dead, O'Donnell tried to persuade Mrs. Kennedy to leave the
area, but she refused. She said that she intended to stay with her
husband.258 A casket was obtained and the President's body was
prepared for removal.259 Before the body could be taken from the
hospital, two Dallas officials informed members of the President's
start that the body could not be removed from the city until an
autopsy was performed. Despite the protests of these officials, the
casket was wheeled out of the hospital, placed in an ambulance, and
transported to the airport shortly after 2 p.m.260 At approximately
2:15 p.m. the casket was loaded, with some difficulty because of the
narrow airplane door, onto the rear of the Presidential plane where
seats had been removed to make room.261 Concerned that the local
officials might try to prevent the plane's departure, O'Donnell asked
that the pilot take off immediately. He was informed that takeoff
would be delayed until Vice President Johnson was sworn in.262

From the Presidential airplane, the Vice President telephoned
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who advised that Mr. Johnson take
the Presidential oath of office before the plane left Dallas.263
Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes hastened to the plane to administer the
oath.264 Members of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential parties
filled the central compartment of the plane to witness the swearing
in. At 2:38 p.m., e.s.t., Lyndon Baines Johnson took the oath of
office as the 36th President of the United States.265 Mrs. Kennedy
and Mrs. Johnson stood at the side of the new President as he took the
oath of office.266 Nine minutes later, the Presidential airplane
departed for Washington, D.C.267

On the return flight, Mrs. Kennedy sat with David Powers, Kenneth
O'Donnell, and Lawrence O'Brien.268 At 5:58 p.m., e.s.t., Air Force
One landed at Andrews AFB, where President Kennedy had begun his last
trip only 31 hours before.269 Detailed security arrangements had been
made by radio from the President's plane on the return flight.270
The public had been excluded from the base, and only Government
officials and the press were permitted near the landing area. Upon
arrival, President Johnson made a brief statement over television and
radio. President and Mrs. Johnson were flown by helicopter to the
White House, from where Mrs. Johnson was driven to her residence under
Secret Service escort. The President then walked to the Executive
Office Building, where he worked until 9 p.m.271

Given a choice between the National Naval Medical Center at
Bethesda, Md., and the Army's Walter Reed Hospital, Mrs. Kennedy chose
the hospital in Bethesda for the autopsy because the President had
served in the Navy.272 Mrs. Kennedy and the Attorney General, with
three Secret Service agents, accompanied President Kennedy's body on
the 45-minute automobile trip from Andrews AFB to the Hospital.273 On
the 17th floor of the Hospital, Mrs. Kennedy and the Attorney General
joined other members of the Kennedy family to await the conclusion of
the autopsy.274 Mrs. Kennedy was guarded by Secret Service agents in
quarters assigned to her in the naval hospital.275 The Secret Service
established a communication system with the White House and screened
all telephone calls and visitors.276

The hospital received the President's body for autopsy at
approximately 7:35 p.m. 277 X-rays and photographs were taken
preliminarily and the pathological examination began at about 8
p.m.278 The autopsy report noted that President Kennedy was 46 years
of

Page 60

age, 72½ inches tall, weighed 170 pounds, had blue eyes and
reddish-brown hair. The body was muscular and well developed with no
gross skeletal abnormalities except for those caused by the gunshot
wounds. Under "Pathological Diagnosis" the cause of death was set
forth as "Gunshot wound, head." 279 ( See app. IX. )

The autopsy examination revealed two wounds in the
President's head. One wound, approximately one-fourth of an inch by
five-eighths of an inch (6 by 15 millimeters), was located about an
inch (2.5 centimeters) to the right and slightly above the large bony
protrusion (external occipital protuberance) which juts out at the
center of the lower part of the back of the skull. The second head
wound measured approximately 5 inches (13 centimeters) in its greatest
diameter, but it was difficult to measure accurately because multiple
crisscross fractures radiated from the large defect.280 During the
autopsy examination, Federal agents brought the surgeons three pieces
of bone recovered from Elm Street and the Presidential automobile.
When put together, these fragments accounted for approximately
three-quarters of the missing portion of the skull.281 The surgeons
observed, through X-ray analysis, 30 or 40 tiny dustlike fragments of
metal running in a line from the wound in the rear of the President's
head toward the front part of the skull, with a sizable metal fragment
lying just above the right eye.282 From this head wound two small
irregularly shaped fragments of metal were recovered and turned over
to the FBI.283

The autopsy also disclosed a wound near the base of the back
of President Kennedy's neck slightly to the right of his spine. The
doctors traced the course of the bullet through the body and, as
information was received from Parkland Hospital, concluded that the
bullet had emerged from the front portion of the President's neck that
had been cut away by the tracheotomy at Parkland. 284 The nature and
characteristics of this neck wound and the two head wounds are
discussed fully in the next chapter.

After the autopsy was concluded at approximately 11 p.m.,
the President's body was prepared for burial. This was finished at
approximately 4 a.m.285 Shortly thereafter, the President's wife,
family and aides left Bethesda Naval Hospital.286 The President's body
was taken to the East Room of the White House where it was placed
under ceremonial military guard.

Bibliographic note: Web version based on Report of the President's Commission on the
Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Washington, DC: United States Government Printing
Office, 1964. 1 volume, 888 pages. The formatting of this Web version may differ from the
original.